I support this plan, Ginger.

erika, it definitely made me smile.

I like that plan. All my love, Ginger, all positive thoughts possible. Not for the first time, I deplore geography.

Ginger, I have no useful words, so I will echo the "fuck cancer" chorus and say that I refuse to believe you won't win this battle. And in the meantime, we will provide love, support, and strategic distraction.

Other girls know bunches of subtle ways to say "Treat me nice and I might fuck you." I know lots of subtle ways to say "If things go badly, I'll kick your ass." And then there's Ava Crowder, who's my hero, cause she can do both at once.(of course, I don't have Big Block of Concrete sensuality like Ava...anyone I threatened with a shotgun would stay threatened.)

I like the plan to beat the 17-year record. I also really like a plan that gets some of those "meant to do" things off of your life list regardless of how many decades you've got left.

I have a plan.

ETA: I have something up my sleeve for a certain favorite Braves fan.

Ginger, insent.

You are in my heart. I echo ita !'s thoughts and love, love, love that you shared Katherine Rich's story.

Percentages are useful for contrast and choice-making, but they are not necessarily predictive for the individual.

I'm totally on board the "Ginger wins" train.

Bonny--how is the new pup?

I endorse the 17+ year plan.

Ginger... I don't even know what to say. This is horribly, horribly, awful and unfair. To say "I'm sorry" seems so useless so I've been reading people's comments blankly pretending like it's someone somewhere else. You are so smart and generous and witty and amazing. I would never have gotten through grad school without you, FACT. You are totally strong like an Amazon and I know this isn't gonna happen without a hell of a fight.

I need to stop now because I'm administering a seminar so I gotta stop crying. I love you, though, and will drop you an email soon.

Scrappy, he's doing well, thanks.

It's been an interesting month of pendulum swinging emotions which has confirmed something DavidS said to me just a couple of days after Bartleby died.

I _need_ to love and to have a focus for that energy in my life. Though my heart is not truly open to him right now, he definitely has provided that focus and caused me to climb out of myself in a great way.

Cagney is a wonderful creature...who is so different from Bartleby that it brings into sharp relief what a special dog he was. But, the difference is challenging me to learn new things and be in the world in a different way. Both of which are good.

There is still a small doubt that Cagney won't make the final cut as the doggy lama dog, ONLY because I wonder if he might be happier in a two dog house...which will never be my house. He LOVES...is crazy about...cannot live without...every other dog he meets.

So, I've had his own business cards printed up (virtually for free, I'm not that crazy) so that I can set up play dates in my yard. So far, it's working really well.

I've trained him to carry a pack, which he has taken to like a champion. He is sweet, 'lovey' and cheerful. He is learning, though is the slower more stubborn way that Bulldogs can. Plus, he's in the adolescent "I know what you are saying, but frankly couldn't care less" phase...which is wearing on my high standards like whoa.

I'm proud of myself for hiring a Bulldog specialist because there was a LOT I did not know about his breed that could have sent us down a very hard road for a long time. The challenge is fun...and challengy.